Chapter 2

“Mrs. Blackwood.”

Just as Mother began turning the master key in the lock, Ronan Ashford hurried down the corridor and caught her wrist.

Ronan and I had grown up together. We had promised that after passing our coming-of-age trials, we would enter Mooncrest Academy together. We had even planned our training schedules.

He had only heard my earlier knocking, but he still stopped Mother. “Lyra has always cared too much about winning. Right now, all she wants is for you to let her out. Whatever you say, she’ll keep insisting something is wrong.”

Mother’s hand remained on the key, but she did not finish turning it.

Ronan moved closer. “I know this is unfair, Lyra, but Elara has done nothing wrong. Once she finishes the trial safely, I’ll ask the academy whether they can make an exception for you. Please endure it this one time.”

I wanted to tell him there was no second assessment. I wanted him to ask Mother to finish unlocking the door. My body could no longer move. I remained frozen with one hand raised, while blood from my forehead had hardened across the corner of my eye.

If Mother unlocked the door, she would see me.

The master key remained in the lock for several seconds before Mother turned it back. The silver door stayed closed, and Ronan sighed outside.

“When Elara passes, I’ll speak to the instructors. Maybe they can still let us enter Mooncrest together.”

Their footsteps faded up the stone stairs, leaving the underground corridor silent.

Mother had stood only inches away. If she had finished turning the key, she would have found me.

For eighteen years, my family had asked me to yield just one more time. I had always believed that eventually they would see what their choices were doing to me. Only after my life slipped away did I understand that this truly had been the last time.

My wolf spirit remained in the winter store after leaving my body. Below me, my corpse leaned against the silver door, coated in frost, with its knuckles raised against the panel it could never strike again.

The next morning, I drifted after them, unseen, while they smiled and spoke about the trial. No one looked back toward the underground entrance.

My parents and Ronan accompanied Elara to the trial grounds. Mother adjusted her wrist guards, Father checked her token, and Ronan placed a wolf-spirit stabilizing potion in her satchel.

They no longer needed to worry about my power threatening Elara’s life mark.

After the first round, however, Elara kept glancing toward our territory. The moment she entered the rest chamber, she caught Mother’s hand.

“We need to check on Lyra. I haven’t felt her through our twin bond since last night.”

“The silver door blocks pack links,” Mother replied as she wiped the sweat from Elara’s forehead. “She knows you’re worried. She’s refusing to answer because she wants us to release her.”

“She didn’t eat last night, and she hasn’t answered through the bond. Something could have happened.”

Mother’s expression hardened as she gripped Elara’s shoulders. “Your only responsibility is to finish the trial. Lyra has already lost her opportunity. Do not make her sacrifice meaningless.”

Elara refused to enter the next trial area until Mother finally agreed to return home and check on me. She also needed to collect Elara’s spare stabilizing potion.

Mother drove back to the estate and retrieved the vial from the medicine cabinet. As she passed the entrance to the underground level, she slowed, then turned toward the winter store.

“Lyra, I know you’re angry,” she said through the silver door. “We only wanted Elara to complete her trial safely. When she comes home, I’ll return your token and speak to the academy instructors myself.”

When no answer came, Mother waited briefly before her patience ran out.

“How long are you going to behave like this? Elara kept defending you, yet you’re deliberately making her too anxious to focus. If she gets hurt during the trial, will you feel no regret?”

She rested one hand on the master key at her belt.

The silver door looked no different from any other day. The small status light beside it remained green, showing the cooling system on standby.

After a brief hesitation, she drew out the key and moved it toward the lock.

Before the key entered the lock, Father reached her through the pack link.